Hi there. Might as well take a moment to introduce myself: Hi, I'm Rob. The Guy. The one who gives Abbie the access to the computer and lets him bang on the keys whenever he feels like it. When we started this blog seven years ago I made it a point not to actually post to it myself; I wanted to let Abbie do the talking. Sometimes, though, Abbie couldn't be around, so his sister Martha was able to write in his place. Unfortunately Martha's no longer with us, and we have no other animals in this house, so I figured I would be the one to step up and say what needs to be said. I always knew I'd have to break the fourth wall one day, but at least the reason why I thought I'd have to isn't the reason why I'm posting right now.

The reason I'm posting right now is because Abbie the Cat has gone missing.

This isn't a story, and it isn't a setup for me to start talking about pirates; it's for real. I last saw him Sunday morning, February 3, as I was getting ready to go to work. When I came back home, he didn't immediately run to greet me (and he often does; he's very dog-like in that fashion) but I saw nothing wrong there. Sometimes when I come home he's asleep upstairs or on the papasan or in the kitchen trying to wheedle some food out of one of my housemates.

I still hadn't seen him when I went to bed, but I still thought he was probably downstairs on the papasan or in the TV room or wherever else he likes to curl up. The next morning, however, he didn't greet me as he usually does. Let me tell you a bit about Abbie that he may not admit to: he's a small dog in cat form. He follows me around the house when I'm home, he does the running-to-greet-me thing, and he plays a mean game of fetch when he's up to it.

He also is extremely given to ritual. You may know what it's like to have a Ritual. Abbie sleeps by my feet at night, wakes up when I do, stands outside the bathroom door while I get ready for work, and demands to be let in as soon as he hears the shower stop. So as to not wake the housemates I usually concede to his demands and let him into the bathroom, whereupon he strides in, makes sure everything is where it should be, and then struts out. Total elapsed time of inspection: 30 seconds. He then accompanies me back to the bedroom where he either plops his furry butt down right where I need to be, or else he sits on the good pair of pants I'd laid out on the bed for that morning. He follows me downstairs as I get ready to go, and I make sure his bowls are full and he wanders off somewhere as soon as I head for the door.

He wasn't around on Monday morning. At that point I knew something was up. Before I left for work I checked all the closed doors that Abbie may have inadvertently found himself behind: our back staircase, the downstairs bathroom, the hall closet, but he was nowhere to be seen. I got worried that he may have gotten out the door when someone left it open briefly; he's strictly indoors but occasionally gets a bit of wanderlust. I checked under our porches, in our bushes, out in the backyard, in the unused garage (whoa, a lotta junk there) and around the area. He was nowhere to be seen but one of the orange tabby Fagin cats was hanging around, and didn't like my presence one bit.

My housemates and I scoured the house later on to see if he'd found some new and crazy place to hide. We couldn't find him. At this point I made notices online to friends and locals, and have been rewarded thus far with several people who've had sightings. We've printed out fliers by the score and have posted them all around, especially where people have said they've seen a very big tuxedo cat. (Coincidentally enough, there's another missing fat tuxedo cat on the other side of town. That cat is named Phil.)

I've been speaking with local vets, our city's animal control department, anybody I can think of who may have stray cats brought in to them. So far nothing's turned up, but with the news of Fat Tuxedo Cat sightings, my housemate (who's made up a Dragnet-style map with "pushpins" regarding sightings, flier locations, and streets we've searched) we think we know where he may be lurking about. Indoor cats who escape often are bewildered and frightened by the outside world and, especially if they are not good at confrontation with strange cats (such as, say, that orange tabby bully in my backyard) will find a place to hide completely. It's very likely Abbie is quite close to home, but in hiding. However, given the reports we've gotten from around the area, he is at least out and about during the daytime -- sitting on a porch, meeting people on sidewalks, making friends as he always does. (He is very friendly and relaxed around people, which is good.) So it's also likely someone may have taken him in as a stray. It's clear that he's well-fed, however, so I am sure whoever knows cats will know he's somebody's.

Abbie is not collared, tagged, or microchipped. This presents a problem, and a lesson hard learned. I'd say "don't make the same mistake I done did" but I don't wish to lecture you. I do know that once he's recovered, he's going to have positive identification wherever he goes. (Of course, the first challenge will come in making him wear him a collar; if a 20-pound cat doesn't want to do something he won't do it.) We can't leave food out on the porch for him to find as the Fagin cats will come and steal it all, but I have left some of my clothes out on the porch; clothes he likes to sleep on. Hopefully his nose will help. I've also been walking up and down our nearby streets jingling my house keys in my hand, as it's a sound he knows very well.

So.

If you live in or around the Davis Square neighborhood of Somerville, Mass, or you know someone who does, please keep an eye out for the humongous black-and-white cat with the large paws and big bright eyes. If you spot him, please let me know; you can write to abbie@spatch.net or comment to this entry. If you take him in or you know someone who took a stray tuxedo cat in, please let me know. He's a wonderful cat, but I think you already knew that. He's been a part of my life for nearly eleven years now. I miss my buddy terribly and I want him back; I want him back and warm and full of food and comfortable again.

I had a co-worker whose cat got outside accidentally. After two weeks, he showed up at the back door, a little skinnier but no worse for wear. Nobody had seen him the entire time, and they had been searching the neighborhood, flyering, calling vets and animal control...same stuff you've been doing.

He's a smart guy (and all of your readers know it!) and he'll make it home, probably the minute you least expect it. Until then, you're in our thoughts.

The guy...er, Rob, I am so, so sorry to hear that Abbie is missing! I've been a long-time reader of his blog and I love hearing from him. I wish that I lived in your area so that I could help look for him. I've been the Mom of a missing kitty/"feline human" and it's not a fun position. Just know that I am sending prayers across the miles in hopes that he returns to you.

I'm so sorry! This happened to me once with an indoor-only cat. I spent a lot of time walking the neighborhood with a jingly bag of treats. On the fifth day he was outside my door, cold and tired but glad to be home...

I'm sure you'll get him back!! Can you skip work and hang out during the day when he's been seen?

Have faith—if he's been seen, he'll probably be home soon. I have five myself. My 23-pounder went missing for three hours following a break-in and turned up behind the refridgerator. But if you need a story that will inspire faith, go read about Rachael's cat Digit (http://www.yarnagogo.com/blog/2007/06/look-what-dragg.html). Talk about Prodigal Cats. All of us here at Chez Banter have our fingers and paws crossed for Abbie's safe return.

Oh, no -- I hope Abbie is found quickly, you're one of the few people I've seen that very clearly loves your cat(s) as much as I do mine... I've also grown attached to your guys -- cried when I read the entry about Martha passing (which you should submit for publication, quite seriously), and am starting to for Abbie's vanishing act as well.

Anyway, I have a "happy ending" tale to add to the pile... Back in July 2001, my 17-pound black cat Damien opened a window and vanished. I contacted the usual authorities, put dirty clothes in the backyard, told the neighborhood kids I'd pay them if they could find & lead me to him, placed a missing kitty ad in the local paper, and left "reward" fliers with his photo & description at every house for a few blocks in all directions. It took a whole week, but a neighbor down the street in the same kind of house found him cowering under her deck, remembered my flier, somehow got him inside, and called me. I couldn't tell if you meant you'd put fliers at every house, but if not, it might be a good idea.

I really, really hope your next post gets to say that Abbie is back...

Don't beat yourself up too much about not having him chipped - it *IS* a good idea, but when our cat Steve went missing for the last time (she was a bit of a wanderer, not like Abbie) she was collared, microchipped, everything, and we never did find out what happened to her. It's not a failsafe.

I'm sure Abbie, from what we all know of him, will be back home as soon as he can. Even lazy old cats can manage on their own for a surprising time, so have hope. I will be thinking of you both.

Oh no! If I didn't live six states away I would come and help you look. Abbie is Very Resourceful so I bet he is much better off than a lot of indoor cats. We will all be thinking homing device thoughts in your direction.

I'm sorry to hear about the stress you're going through - I went through it with my Siamese cat Fusspot some years ago. Don't give up hope.

We advertised in all the shops (including pet shops) and the local animal hospital, and put flyers on the notice boards (nasty schoolchildren would immediately take my flyer off one board in particular and destroy it, but the flyers on the other boards survived).

We also rang the local rescue organizations, and no Siamese had been brought in.

We did get Fusspot back after 16 days, and this is how... none of the flyers made a difference; the microchip made no difference because nobody was able to get near him. He had gone across a busy road near my house and was lurking in the gardens of a quiet street on the other side. A couple saw him and fed him, realizing he was rather thin, so he stayed around, but still wouldn't let them approach him.

They didn't see any of my flyers, despite living very close to the animal hospital and having a cat of their own, but in the end they rang one of the rescue organizations and said there was a kind of Burmese cat hanging around. (Actually he was Siamese).

The rescue organization was on the look out for that kind of misinformation, being used to it, and rang us to say they suspected that was him.

He was just a few streets away from me, and we went to pick him up. That was a wonderful night. :-).

16 days... but I've heard of cats returning after much longer. A friend lost one of her cats for 3 months, and then one night he walked in when they were going to bed.

I hope you will get Abbie back too. In our case it was contacting the rescue organization that made the difference; not the flyers, the leaflets or the microchip. As you say, he is probably very close to home.

After having read his escapades for years (I too cried at the post of Martha's death), I just met Abbie in person last Friday. Soon after, Gee-tar told me he'd gone missing, and I was sure that such a smart guy would be back home soon.

I am so so sorry he's not back yet, Rob. I live a couple of blocks away, and I will definitely keep an eye out and do some treats-shaking for him.

It sounds like Abbie has exactly the same rituals, including bathroom patrol, as my Siena. And the girth and fluffiness too. Is he a Maine Coon? If so, they like water (strange enough) and it has been raining/snowing the past couple of days, so he might have snuck out to investigate...

When our little stupid brown kitten jumped out our 3rd floor window and wandered throughout the neighborhood in blazing heat, she eventually realized she'd rather be home and meandered back a few days later. If she could find her way home after being (by all accounts) 1/2 mile away, then I *KNOW* Abbie will do the same.

Being the hippy-dippy cat-lovers that we are, we called an Animal Communicator who told us approximately where she was and that she was having fun and knew how to get home. And gave us suggestions for helping her come home sooner. But I'm guessing Abbie'd be pissed to have someone telepathically communicating with him.

Rob, I have personally known a cat who disappeared and was found and recovered 4 months later very close to home. I will be hoping for the same happy outcome -- and that it takes *far* less time than 4 months for you and Abbie to be re-united.

My dear Callie cat that I once was lucky to share my life with once went missing for 7 months! then came back home with a different collar on. Someone had taken her (they had to see her collar and know she was mine) but I guess they were in the neighborhood and she got out all those months later and found her way back home. Definitely don't give up hope on Abbie, I am sending lots of happy cat reunion energies your way.

We will be praying for Abbie's safe and swift return. (I'm not being facetious. Often the small prayers get answered more quickly.)

This may sound odd, and you may have already done it, but is there a particular sound you and/or Abbie makes to talk with each other? I ask because we looked for my cat Blackie for more than a week after we moved, and one day, in frustration, I stood in the back yard and meowed. All of a sudden, I heard something meowing back, and then this black furry bullet shot through the tall weeds behind our house. He'd been staying in one of the new houses two streets over, we later learned. (Before we moved, he ran away and stayed two blocks up and initially refused to come home because they were feeding him bacon, the big hog.)

Abbie, we miss you terribly when you don't post. We can't even imagine how much The Guy misses you when you're gone from home. Please listen for him and come home soon. Conclude your Important Investigations and come home. Your litterbox is clean, and all is forgiven.

Oh no, I hope you find him soon. I have just moved to a new house and have been keeping my cat inside until he is less freaked out about the new location. Last night I left the back door open for the dog and forgot about it. The cat (predictably) went missing, with me searching and calling everywhere (including inside the house just in case, as he likes to stay where he is and purr when he hears you calling him). Fortunately he turned up after five hours, but I felt terrible. I'm sure Abbie will come back. They know where they have it good.

Oh, Abbie, thank goodness, you bad bad adventure pirate. This weekend has mostly been made of Teh Suck, so hearing that you made it safely home (and immediately pitched a fit looking for your dish) is more comforting than you can know.

im sorry! im sure youll find he soon I live in Centretown and my cat has been missing since Wednesday, August 13th. She is a female tortoise shell cat and My family misses her a lot. If you have found her can you please respond to this ad. Thank You!